The present invention relates to apparatus for manipulating bobbins or reels consisting of or including convoluted tape, web, strip or similar material. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus for supplying fresh bobbins to a splicing station where the leader of the web which is stored on the core of the fresh bobbin is to be attached to a running web which is supplied by an expiring bobbin. Apparatus of such character can be used in many types of tobacco processing machines, e.g., in cigarette makers to supply fresh bobbins or reels of convoluted cigarette paper to the station where the leader of a web of cigarette paper on the core of a fresh bobbin can be attached to the web which is supplied by an expiring bobbin. Also, apparatus of such character can be used to supply convoluted web, tape or strip stock to a slicing station in a filter tipping machine wherein cigarette paper, artificial cork or other suitable strip-shaped material is used to make uniting bands serving to connect filter mouthpieces or filter plugs with sections of a tobacco container rod to form therewith filter cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos of unit length or multiple unit length. Furthermore, apparatus of the type to which the present invention pertains can be used with advantage in machines for the production of filter rod sections wherein a tow of filamentary filter material or another rod-like filler or filter material is draped into a web of paper or the like to form therewith a continuous rod which is thereupon severed to yield filter rod sections of desired length.
It is already known to utilize a carrier for two bobbins, namely, an expiring bobbin which feeds web-, strip- or tape-like material to the consuming station of a tobacco processing or like machine and a fresh bobbin which is held in a position of readiness so that its leader can be spliced to the running web as soon as the quantity of convoluted material on the expiring web is reduced to a preselected minimum value. It is also known to store several fresh bobbins in a magazine (e.g., to store a supply which suffices to satisfy the requirements of a cigarette maker during an entire shift or during an entire day if the machine is operated in two or more shifts). Means is provided for transferring fresh bobbins from the magazine to a splicing station where the leader of the web on the fresh bobbin is ready to be spliced to the running web as soon as the need arises. As a rule, the diameter of convoluted material on the expiring bobbin is monitored by a suitable detector which transmits a signal to initiate a splicing operation as soon as the diameter is reduced to a preselected value. Such apparatus further comprise means for advancing the leader of a fresh bobbin (which is held in a predetermined position of readiness) to an optimum position for attachment to the running web.
It is well known that the output of cigarette making and like machines is on the increase. Only a few years ago, a cigarette maker was capable of turning out approximately 4,000 cigarettes per minute. Recent types of cigarette makers produce at least 5,000 and some of them turn out in excess of 6,000 cigarettes per minute. This means that the bobbins must be replaced at frequent intervals in order to avoid a stoppage of such machines for the sole purpose of replacing an expired bobbin with a fresh bobbin which contains a full supply of convoluted wrapping or draping material, such as cigarette paper. Furthermore, the splicing operation must be completed within a very short interval of time, especially if the nature of the splicing device is such that its operation necessitates a temporary slowdown or even temporary stoppage of the web transporting mechanism.
The outermost layer of convoluted web on a fresh bobbin which stores a supply of cigarette paper or the like is normally surrounded by a protective strip or tape which must be removed before the leader of the web on such fresh bobbin is ready for transport to the splicing station. Removal of the protective strip is carried out by hand, i.e., the attendants in a tobacco processing plant or in a plant for the production of filter plugs must sever or break the protective strip and thereupon remove the strip before the leader of the web of useful material (e.g., cigarette paper) is accessible for transport into the range of the splicing device. Since the attendants must also perform other tasks, it can happen that they are incapable of satisfying the need for webs of cigarette paper or like strip-shaped material when the splicing operations must be performed at frequent intervals. On the other hand, the dimensions of fresh bobbins cannot be increased at will for numerous reasons, for example, because excessive bulk and weight would render such bobbins hard to manipulate by the employees who are in charge of a cigarette maker, a filter tipping machine or filter rod making machine.
Commonly owned German Offenlegungsschrift No. 1,532,203 discloses an apparatus which is capable of automatically preparing successive fresh bobbins for splicing of their webs to the running webs of expiring bobbins. The arrangement is such that each fresh bobbin which is inserted into the magazine must be treated or prepared, either in the magazine or prior to insertion into the magazine. From there on, the progress of fresh bobbins to an optimum position with reference to the splicing station is automatic or practically automatic. The treatment which must be carried out (normally before a fresh bobbin is inserted into the magazine) includes severing or breaking the protective strip, removal of the severed or broken protective strip, and attachment of a suitable motion receiving part to the leader of the thus exposed web on the fresh bobbin. The motion receiving part which is attached to the leader of the web on a fresh bobbin which has been relieved of the protective strip is engaged by an entraining element to advance the leader to an optimum position with reference to the splicing device, i.e., to such position that the leader can be attached to the running web as soon as the need to carry out a splicing operation arises. This is time-consuming and is likely to require practically uninterrupted attention on the part of at least one attendant, especially if the attendant is to supervise the operation of several cigarette makers or like machines. As mentioned above, it is customary that an attendant who is in charge of cigarette makers or the like also performs other duties, e.g., oversee the operation of the distributor which delivers tobacco shreds to the rod forming station, monitor the operation of the inspecting device for finished products and/or others.